Given the serious economic crisis Massachusetts, the first state to offer near universal health care, has decided to stop subsidizing health care for permanent, legal residents who have lived in the state for less than five years. The change is expected to save the state 130 million dollars. The state’s Democratic governor is attempting to restore 70 million dollars of funding to the program to provide permanent, legal residents some degree of basic health care, but the legislature is opposed to the governor’s effort.
Currently, Massachusetts has the lowest percentage of uninsured at 2.6 percent. The national average is 15 percent. Obviously, the Massachusetts experiment has worked. As the debate moves forward our nation can learn much from the experiences of Massachusetts. As this news demonstrates, however, health care reform will suffer unless a serious, dedicated funding source is allocated specifically to fund health insurance. By failing to dedicate a consistent source of funding to the state’s health insurance program the difficult economy we are all living through has forced the state to begin reneging on its noble commitment to providing health care to as many of its residents as possible. If America is to avoid making health insurance for the poor dependent on the health of our economy we must guarantee that health reform will be fully funded no matter how the economy is doing on a daily basis. Of course, the best way to guarantee health care for the vast majority of Americans is to dedicate a tax increase solely to the administration of health care.
Tags: Associated Press, health care, insurance, Massachusetts, news, opinion, politics
